UST Golden Tigresses’ hopes of ending a three-year finals dry spell vanished after a straight-set loss to UAAP defending champions Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles, 18-25, 18-25, 19-25, in a do-or-die Game 3 of the 12th Shakey’s V-League Collegiate Conference semifinals at the San Juan Arena last. Sept. 16.
The Lady Eagles dominated with 32 attack points, nine block points and seven aces.
UST only had 27 attack points, three block points and four service aces while committing a 27 errors.
Ateneo was leading 24-14 in the last frame before UST racked up five straight points. A service error from Tigress EJ Laure secured the Lady Eagles a finals berth.
Alyssa Valdez powered the Lady Eagles with 19 points while Bea de Leon and Amy Ahomiro added nine apiece.
Laure had nine markers for UST.
Game 2 was a different story for UST as the Lady Eagles’ saw their 10-game winning streak come to a halt with the Tigresses pulling an 18-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-22 upset last Sept 12.
UST banked on its balanced attacking as four Tigresses scored in double digits. Laure powered the Tigresses with 17 points while Carmela Tunay, who was scoreless in Game 1, finished with 15 markers. Marivic Meneses and Pam Lastimosa added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
“Nagko-commit kami ng [mga] error pero ang importante ‘yung mga gusto naming mangyari, nangyari,” UST Golden Tigresses head coach Emilio Reyes said.
UST lost Game 1 of the battle-for-third match against Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 17-25, 17-25, 25-10, 20-25, last Sept. 19.
The Lady Tamaraws dominated with 50 attack points while UST only had 36.
The Tigresses kept it close in the fourth set, 20-22, but FEU unleashed three consecutive points capped by Toni Rose Basas’ crosscourt kill to clinch the win.
“Noong pumasok kami ng Final Four, it doesn’t mean okay na. I hope maayos namin [ang mga mali naming] before mag-UAAP. [Sana] mag-end naman kami ng pangatlo,” Reyes said.
Laure, Golden Tigresses’ leading scorer, was awarded second best spiker of the conference.
The Golden Tigresses have lost four of their last five games and will try to bounce back in Game two of their battle-for-bronze clash against FEU again on Sept. 26, 12:45 p.m. at the San Juan Arena. C.A. Casingcasing and RA.B. Ritumalta
